British Dragonfly Society

Managing Habitats for Dragonflies

This is the text of the British Dragonfly Society booklet "Managing Habitats for Dragonflies". The booklet was written in 1993 to assist people in managing various types of habitat for Dragonflies and Damselflies. You should note that this is biased towards the United Kingdom. It is being published here to make it available to enthusiasts worldwide. The illustrated, printed copy is available to all for £2.50 (inc. p&p) but we are unable to accept payment in anything other than sterling.

You may also be interested in an accompanying text "Dig a Pond for Dragonflies" which is also available online.

Introduction

Dragonflies are interesting and beautiful. Their large size makes them valuable for quickly assessing water quality and for the study of insect behaviour. They can be used for the biological control of mosquitoes. As we said in our 'Dig a Pond for Dragonflies', dragonflies are special and need our help.

Much can be done by creating new ponds in gardens but many dragonflies, including most of the rarer species, depend on other habitats which already exist - lakes, ponds, rivers, ditches, marshes and bogs. If dragonflies are to flourish in the British Isles these, habitats must be managed so that they can support them. This booklet supplements 'Dig a Pond for Dragonflies', which deals mainly with the construction of garden ponds.

First, we outline what all dragonflies require. If these requirements can be provided in any particular habitat, the species dependent upon it may colonize it. It is very important to be aware of the general requirements of dragonflies because their requirements provide the basis for practical measures that have to be taken.

Second, we outline the particular problems associated with managing each type of habitat and suggest ways of solving them.

Third, we summarise the distribution and habitats of all the dragonflies still breeding in the British Isles so that you can predict which species you can expect to have in a well managed example of each habitat in a particular region. This section includes notes on the special requirements of rarer species.